Survival 101
Echoes of the Empire Session 2
Previous Session: EOTE 01. Short Beginnings
Dates
Participants
Locations
AOR 542-5-80 to AOR 542-5-81
The party trudged through the hilly forests of the Wild West, using the towering peak northwest of Short Beginnings as their guide. They spent two nights beneath the canopy, listening to the howling of nocturnal predators echo off of the nearby cliffs. The first night yielded nothing in the way of Echoes, but the second involved occasional specters gliding between the trees in the distance. The party made note to try and head further north the following day in hopes of avoiding having to set up camp deeper in Echo territory.
AOR 542-5-83
Around noon of the third day, with the three suns high overhead, the party found themselves standing atop a cliff overlooking a ten-meter-deep pit dominated by murky water. A steep staircase that had been carved from the cliff-face led down to a beach below. Even from this height, the party could see abandoned lines and nets as well as tents in disrepair. Faded bloodstains dotted the shore in what appeared to be drag-marks that disappeared into the water.
Boris and Kagbar found a moderately large boulder and pushed it over the edge of the cliff. The shattering of rock reverberated throughout the pit as it bounced off of several lips in the cliff-face before splashing into the water. Through the debris and ripples, the party could see a large dark shape emerge from the depths to inspect the disturbance. They were unable to identify what it was, but determined they didn’t want to deal with it unless they could coax it onto shore.
With enough supplies to last a few more days, they continued traveling north.
That night, not a single glimmer or glow punctuated the darkness, leaving their campfire as all that kept the void from swallowing them whole.
AOR 542-5-84
At dawn, the party awoke to a distant blast to the north. Curious, they cautiously made their way towards it until they came to a large clearing covered with charred stones, scorched earth, and splintered trees. Numerous craters dotted the area, with some looking far more recent than others. A suffocating silence hung over the area, not a single chirp or chitter, nothing but the wind whispering through the trees. Slowly, the party went back the way they came, alert for an ambush or trap.
That night, they kept the fire a bit dimmer than normal. The nightly rustling in the bushes sounded nearer than normal, but nothing of note occurred.
AOR 542-5-85
The journey back to the Fishing Pit was as uneventful as the journey from it except for a distant blast to the north at the same time they had heard it the day before. There had been no signs of Scourge and they were running low on rations. Not feeling ready to face whatever lurked in the waters of the Fishing Pit, they determined that they would need to hunt for game in the surrounding forest and hope they weren’t hunted back.
That night, despite not having encountered Echoes when they had camped there two nights prior, multiple ghostly figures were spotted floating between the trees just beyond the reach of the fire.
AOR 542-5-86
The party spent the whole day hunting, traveling in groups to minimize their risk of becoming prey to something more dangerous than them. They had enough to last a few days, but not enough to make it home. Reluctantly, they agreed to spend another day hunting, hoping the forest would be kinder tomorrow.
AOR 542-5-87
The next day of hunting was far more bountiful. Not only did they catch enough game to feed them on the remainder of the trip back to Short Beginnings, but they had caught enough to sell for a small profit. However, the thought of returning with nothing but a few extra rations gnawed at them. They made plans to poison some of their catch and feed it to whatever haunted the Fishing Pit to draw it out and slay it.
However, their sleep that night was interrupted by a hulking creature lurking just beyond the light of their fire. The party rallied and tried to scare it off, but it seemed unfazed. Slowly, it made its way towards their food, keeping one large, unblinking eye focused on them. As it reached for the party’s food, Kagbar roared a war cry and charged. Boris added his own bellow and joined him. Ione and the Raccoon-Folk darted to the sides and began to hack at the beast’s feathery limbs and tail. Jonesie kept his allies between him and the creature, shouting commands and warnings to them as they fought. The creature’s size made it an easy target, but it also meant it had reach and strength, batting even Boris and Kagbar aside with ease when it got the chance.
Ione and Jonesie did their best to distract the beast or drive it off, but to no avail. However, these efforts did have an effect: the Echoes took notice. The moment Jonesie tried to persuade the creature that their food was not worth its trouble, the Echoes immediately stopped, turned their gaze towards Ione and Jonesie, then began to walk towards them with more appearing from deeper in the woods.
Ione leapt out of the Echoes’ Path and Jonesie scampered back. The Echoes kept walking towards Jonesie, ignoring Ione. Unsure of what else to do, Jonesie ran past them and behind his allies as they stood against the beast, their shadows dancing against the trees and undergrowth. To his relief, the Echoes continued straight ahead and faded into the treeline. Jonesie didn’t try his trick again — not until he knew what in the Void had happened.
The beast continued to ignore the many blows that chipped away at its bloodied, feathered hide while it ripped armor pieces and flesh from Boris and Kagbar with its powerful beak and claws. As a last resort, Boris snatched a bottle of liquor he had been saving and hurled it at the beast. It hit, though the creature seemed more annoyed than injured. However, Boris wasn’t done. In a swift motion, he took hold of one of the logs in the fire and flung it towards the beast. An ear-piercing shriek resounded throughout the woods as the creature’s feathers ignited. It took off towards the south, barreling through the underbrush and toppling saplings, screeching in terror the whole way.
Next Session: EOTE 03. Never Fall Asleep on Watch
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